[OMEGA]

gday peoples, i just purchased a 1990 sierra and im keen to start modding it straight up. it already has headers and a zorst and a few other bits and bobs, goes quite well really so will just leave the go department alone... for now. i have put my set of 235/75/15s off my vit on it and ill be happy with that size for the time being. now i want to lift this jigger, dont wanna go crazy just the usual 2in lift, like most i am on a budget so just some advice on the best way to go about it as i dont know a whole heap about sierras mainly vits. what is involved in doing a SPOA, is this the easiest way to go about it, i will most likely use rancho shocks as ive used these in the past and they have been good but any advice would be great thanks as i have a bit of time off over chrissy and would like to tackle it then.

[atari4x4]

budget SPOA.

IMO it's not worth it unless done properly & that shit ain't cheap, buy the biggest tyres you're going to ever run then gear it & lift it to suit.

[OMEGA]

alrighty then, what in the az peoples opinions is the best 2inch lift kit spring combo to get hold of and the best shocks to suit if anyone has had any bad expirinces with ranchos or if they think they will not suit this application.

[neofitou]

SPOA is a no in most circumstances. Especially true here.

PM Dank he will sort you out with suspension.
He stocks EFS which are nice and long and good value and a few shock brands, one of which will be suited to your application.

[KEENSY85]

What if u spoa on stock leafs that would be okay wouldn't? Wouldn't that be like a 3" lift or something like that or still well dangerous?

[SierraDan]

Depends how you do it.
Could be 2" or could be 10".

[stockman]

Isn't the difference between spring under and spring over perches 4-4.5"?

[Fatzook]

stockman wrote:

Isn't the difference between spring under and spring over perches 4-4.5"?

Yep.. I'm yet to see SPOA nett less than a 4" lift on flat springs.

[just_cruizin]

What are you trying to achieve just height for looks or something that works. Do you want to fit big tyres or just a decent set of grippy tyres. What type of thing do you want to drive

[KEENSY85]

Fatzook wrote:

stockman wrote:

Isn't the difference between spring under and spring over perches 4-4.5"?

Yep.. I'm yet to see SPOA nett less than a 4" lift on flat springs.

Doesn't sound like a very reliable stable mod to me

[pezz]

OMEGA wrote:

dont wanna go crazy just the usual 2in lift, like most i am on a budget so just some advice on the best way to go about it as i dont know a whole heap about sierras mainly vits. what is involved in doing a SPOA, is this the easiest way to go about it, i will most likely use rancho shocks as ive used these in the past and they have been good but any advice would be great thanks as i have a bit of time off over chrissy and would like to tackle it then.

The easy way to get a 2" lift is two buy 2" lifted springs, some new bushes and shocks to suit.
Bolt it all up, with new u bolts whilst your at it..
and bingo... you have a 2" lift

No cutting, no steering mods, no anti wrap bars..... no spoa....

[Gwagensteve]

OMEGA wrote:

any bad expirinces with ranchos or if they think they will not suit this application.

Ranchos are very average shocks. You can do much better for your money.

I've run Rancho and built cars running Rancho and I can't see any reason to recommend them.

I used to recommend Rancho when it was impossible to buy shocks from anywhere else with over 10" of travel. That's not the case any more.

A sierra on leaves doesn't need more than about 8" of shock travel so there are lots of choices.

Steve.

[SierraDan]

I rate Rancho pretty average at ridiculous price.

[just_cruizin]

rancho's advantage is the ability to get the length and valving you want, well last time I bought some anyways.

[Fatzook]

just_cruizin wrote:

rancho's advantage is the ability to get the length and valving you want, well last time I bought some anyways.

Bilstien are much better value for money/ quality etc, and are available in almost every concievable length or valve combination.

Might even be cheaper too!

[Gwagensteve]

just_cruizin wrote:

rancho's advantage is the ability to get the length and valving you want, well last time I bought some anyways.

I'm going to disagree with this, kind of.

Unless there's been some sort of revolution at Rancho, you can't buy a Rancho in the length and valving you want, you can buy one in the length you want and the valving Rancho think is appropriate for whatever original application that shock was designed for. +/- the range of adjustment.

I've been in more than one Rancho equipped car where it was impossible to get the shocks (chosen on length) to work as well as the factory shocks for that vehicle, and my own experience (although from over 10 years ago) is a case in point.

I was recommended a fitment for my Gwagen on the basis that A) the shocks could be adjusted to whatever valving I needed, and that the same shock could be used right-way-up and upside down on the same vehicle at different ends.

This was wrong and wrong.

I know this because I paid to have the shocks dyno tested, (and I had to buy a shock to do this because Rancho valving is "proprietary" and couldn't be disclosed) and I found that they recommended shock was too soft for the rear by about 20% even when turned fully up, and didn't work at all inverted in the front. This was all information from the official Rancho distributor for Australia. Had I followed their advice, my car would have been literally undrivable and very dangerous.

I eventually did my own research and did choose some different Rancho shocks for the front. This was a long time ago though, and long Bilsteins didn't exist. My Gwagen came with Bilsteins stock, and I had them dyno tested too to match the valving.

I have subsequently been in Sierras with Ranchos that were basically undrivable due to shocks being bought on length primarily, and with no thought to valving "because they're adjustable"

Rancho are overpriced nonsense.

I recommend OME and Bilstein. (Along with Koni and rebuildable race shocks like Fox/Radflo/King) but not Rancho.

Steve.

[just_cruizin]

I went by the online catalogue which is US based and selected length and valving. Now that was about 6 years ago and they were 5000 series. I not saying they were correct, just available.

[Daz7]

Some of the above is more rhetoric than fact.

Off the shelf shocks are at best a compromise. Especially when you throw in the main buying requirement with Zook drivers - price.

Valving - off the shelf its going to be hit and miss, even if the manufacturer gives you one or two valving options. Your just as likely to fluke the right valving at Supercheap buying on length alone.

Rancho's are the same as any other 1 way adjustable shock in that they adjust bump and not rebound. Personally, I've always found them too stiff for a leaf sprung zook and you endup running them at their softest setting (that was on a 2" lift with 30's). Add more unsprung weight (larger wheel/tyre package) and I presume you'd be using more of the adjustment however.

There is no hard and fast rule here on what suits because everyone is running different setups (vehicle weight, lift, unsprung weight, end usage). If someone tells you this is the shock for you, find out their vehicles spec and usage before you rush out to purchase.

[303zuke]

The most important factor in finding an appropriate shock is MATCHING both compression valving and rebound valving with the spring rate (which itself should be, to a degree, determined by things like weight, lift, etc). A spring with a high spring rate will require soft compression valving, but high rebound valving. A lighter spring will require heavy compression valving but low rebound valving. The major drawback with Rancho adjustable shocks is that they increase or decrease compression and rebound valving TOGETHER, when they should be inversely proportioned to match the shock to a range of various spring rates. As you adjust to suit a better compression (or rebound) valving, you are adjusting the other value AWAY from it's optimal value.

[Gwagensteve]

Daz7 wrote:

Rancho's are the same as any other 1 way adjustable shock in that they adjust bump and not rebound. Personally, I've always found them too stiff for a leaf sprung zook and you endup running them at their softest setting (that was on a 2" lift with 30's). Add more unsprung weight (larger wheel/tyre package) and I presume you'd be using more of the adjustment however.

That's not true Daz7 - Rancho 9000's adjust both bump and rebound simultaneously. The Dyno sheets I have (somewhere) confirm Rancho's marketing nonsense in relation to this, as I had the shocks dynoed at all settings. Unlike adjustable Konis, for example, (which are 1 way adjustable) RS9000's open and close the foot valve of the shock which controls oil flow in both directions by adjusting the amount of restriction.

You are otherwise spot on though - because the longer fitments are often valved for heavy vehicles, they are often too stiff even at the lowest setting for a Sierra. I have also had the opposite problem on a heavy car.

The problem is that the user pays a lot of money for an average shock to have the adjustability feature, and if you are still unable to get the valving right the shock is no better than buying a commodore shock from super cheap.

There's plenty of tech on here about finding appropriate (length and valving) shocks for suzukis, but almost none about finding the right Rancho for a lifted Suzuki.

Steve.

[just_cruizin]

And we're forgetting the most important factors with regards to driving. What terrain and driving style are we comparing them on. A shock that style what on person does and where they drive won't suit someone else

[Daz7]

Gwagensteve wrote:

Daz7 wrote:

Rancho's are the same as any other 1 way adjustable shock in that they adjust bump and not rebound. Personally, I've always found them too stiff for a leaf sprung zook and you endup running them at their softest setting (that was on a 2" lift with 30's). Add more unsprung weight (larger wheel/tyre package) and I presume you'd be using more of the adjustment however.

That's not true Daz7 - Rancho 9000's adjust both bump and rebound simultaneously. The Dyno sheets I have (somewhere) confirm Rancho's marketing nonsense in relation to this, as I had the shocks dynoed at all settings. Unlike adjustable Konis, for example, (which are 1 way adjustable) RS9000's open and close the foot valve of the shock which controls oil flow in both directions by adjusting the amount of restriction.

Learn something new everyday then, I've never seen a shock that adjusts both bump and rebound with one adjustment. What a crappy way to design a shock, I feel you'd be getting the worse of everything.

[Gwagensteve]

Spot on Daz.

Steve.